Car structure.



PATENTED JUNE 14,1904.

A. B. BELLOWS.

GAR STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2B, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ma Nonms vzrsns co, mom-Luna wAsumuTon. n cy No. 762,676. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

I A. B. BELLOWS.

GAR STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION mun DBO. 28, 1903.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR "MAM THE NOiRIS PETERS co PHQTO-LITHD., WASHINGTON, n c.

PATENTBD JUNE 14, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 14., 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

CAR STRUCTURE.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 762,676, dated June 14, 1904.

Original application filed Jdly 29, 1902, Serial No 117,461. No. 186,767.

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. BELLows, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Gar Structure, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing a portion of a steel gondola car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the end portion of the car-body from the ends of thehoppers. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the end portion of the car. Fig. t is a partial vertical cross-section through the hopper, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail cross-sections showing modified forms of the side structure.

My invention relates to the class of railwaycars, and is designed to strengthen and improve their body structure.

This application forms a divisional part of my pending patent application, Serial No. 117 ,461,'filed July 29, 1902, for improvement in steel cars, the divisional portion of the invention embodied herein relating to the side structure of the car-body.

In the drawings, referring to the form of Figs. 1 to 4., inclusive, 2 2 are the sides of the gondola car, shown as plate-girder sides, having external vertical stiffening members 3. These strengthening members 3 are preferably in the form of angles, though they may be any desirable shape, whether rolled or pressed.

I have shown the car as having a floor 4, provided with hoppers 5, arranged in pairs on each side of the center sill, and each hopper as being provided with swinging doors 6, operated by cross-beams 7 which are provided with rollers 8 in the central longitudinal axis of the ear. These rollers are engaged by the loop 9 of a chain or flexible connection 10, which extends over a roller 11, mounted between the center sills, this connection extending to a suitable shaft (not shown) having the usual wrench portion at the side of the car.

At the top of each side I provide an angular flange, which preferably forms part of an Divided and this application filed December 28, 1903. Serial (No model.)

angle 12, the vertical flange of which extends along the inside of the plate-girder. The angle 12 preferably extends throughout the length of the car-body, and to increase the strength of the side 1 add another upper strengthening member 13, which extends between and terminates adjacent to the bolsters. I have shown this added strengthening member as consisting of an external angle with its vertical flange opposite to the vertical flange of the inner angle, so that the same rivets secure both angles to the upper edge of the side; but it will be understood that this added member may be of other forms and may be secured in other ways than that shown.

At the bottom of the side I show an inner supporting-angle 14c, to which the floor-plates are secured, this angle extending throughout the length of the side, and to strengthen the sides along this portion I secure above the angular flange and preferably above the floorplate a longitudinal bar or plate 15, which may be secured by the rivets serving to fasten the floor-plate to the angle where the angle is used. This strengthening bar or member 15 extends between and terminates adjacent to the bolsters. I have shown this additional lower strengthening member as being at or near the floor-level; but it will be understood that its form may be varied, and it may be secured to the lower portion of a plate-girder which extends to a level below thefloor-level of the car.

The side stakes or stiffening members 3 are shown as extending below the floor and connected to cross-sills 16, which extend to the center sill and are secured thereto except at the points where the hoppers are located. At the latter points the lower ends of the side stakes are connected to bent plates or shapes 17 having upper flanges which are secured to the car-body, preferably by rivets extending through the angles 14.

The hoppers extend below the general floorlevel, and their vertical side plates 1818 are flanged outwardly at the top and riveted, respectively, to the lower-side angles 14 and to the upper flanges 19 of the channel members 20 of the center sill. The flanges of the hoppers over the center sill are preferably covered 20 to bolster, as before.

by a plate 21 exte nding along the center of the caifd covering the inner edges of the floor-plates, as shown in Fig. 2. The-sloping end plates 22 of thehopperare flanged at their upper ends and secured to the upper flanges of the cross-sills beneath the ends of the floorplates, as shown in Fig. 1.

The hopper structure is not claimed herein, the claims of such structure being retained in my pending application, Serial No. 117,461,

5 consists of an additional angle 1. with its vertical leg lying against the inner face of the other angle-leg and its flange extending outwardly over the other flange. This added strengthening member extends from bolster In this form I show the floor-plates as being flanged down at 23 and riveted to the sides, the side extending below the level of the floor. In this form the inner angle 14 is used, as before, along the lower 5 edge of the side, and the added strengthening member consists of another angle, riveted to the outer face and extending from bolster to bolster.

In the form of Fig. 6 the upper strengthening member is shown as consisting of a small channel 12, having its web secured to the side, with its flanges projecting outwardly, this member extending from end to end of the car. In this form I show one of the lower strengthening members of the side as consisting of the angle 14, with its flange projecting inwardly and its vertical leg secured to the inner face of the car side, the floor-plate being riveted to the inward flange. This member extends from end to end of the car, and in this case the added strengthening member is shown as consisting of an angle 15", with its vertical leg secured to the inner face of the other angle held by the through-rivets and its lower flange projecting outwardly beyond the side plate. This strengthening member again extends from bolster to bolster. These strengthening members for the side may be of different forms, may consist of rolled shapes or pressed or bentplatcs or bars, and may be secured in any desirable manner.

By the words at its side in the claims I intend to cover not only a plate-girder which forms a part of the load-inclosing side, as in a high or low side gondola car, but also a car where the plate structure is moved down until its top is adjacent to or substantially flush with the floor-level, as in a flat-car. In these broader claims I also intend to cover a car wherein the combination is employed either with or without an additional wooden or lattieed structure forming another part of the side to inclose the load or assist in doing so.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The use of the added strengthening member terminating at or near the bolsters gives the strength desirable through the portion of the car between the bolsters and at the same time decreases the weight over that of a strengthening member extending from end to end, the metal being distributed where most needed.

The arrangement of the hoppers and their connections is simple and strong, and a convenient arrangement of the floor-plates is providefl.

Many of the features of my invention described and claimed may be applied to gendola cars without hoppers and also to hoppercars and other cars, such as flat-cars, and many variations maybe made in the form and arrangement of the parts Without departing from my invention.

I claim- 1. A car having a plate-girder at its side and extending beyond the bolsters, and a plurality of strengthening members secured to and extending along the top of said plate structure, one of said members terminating adjacent to the bolsters, and both of said members extending in parallelism throughout their length; substantially as described.

2. A car having a plate-girder at its side and extendingbeyond the bolsters, and a strengtheningmember secured to and extending along the top portion of said plate structure, said member terminating adjacent to the bolsters and extending substantially parallel with the floor-frame throughout its length; substantially as described.

3. A car having aplate-girder at its side and extending beyond the bolsters, and a flanged strengthening member secured to and extending along the top portion of said plate structure, said member terminating adjacent to the bolsters and extending substantially parallel with the floor-frame throughout its length; substantially as described.

4. A car having a plate-girder at its side and extending beyond the bolsters, said girder having an angular flange at its top extending substantially throughout the car-body, and a flanged strengthening member secured to the top of the plategirder, said strengthening member extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

5. A steel car having a plate-girder side extending beyond the bolsters, and a plurality of strengthening members secured to and extending along the top of said side, one of said members terminating adjacent to the bolsters and both of said members extending in parallelism throughout their length; substantially as described.

6. A steel car having a plate-girder side extending beyond the bolsters, and a strengtlv ening member secured to and extending along the top portion of said side, said member terminating adjacent to the bolsters and extend- I go ing parallel with the floor-frame throughout its length; substantially as described.

7 A car having a plate-girder side extending beyond the bolsters, an angle riveted to the upper edge of the side and extending from end to end, and another angle riveted along the upper part of the side and terminating adjacent to the bolsters, both members extending substantially parallel throughout their length; substantially as described.

8. A car having aplate-girder at its side extending beyond the bolsters and provided in its upper portions with two angular flanges, one of said flanges extending from end to end and the other extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters, both flanges being substantially parallel throughout their length; substantially as described.

9. A car having a side formed at least in part of a plate structure extending beyond the bolsters, two angles riveted along the upper edge of the plate structure, the flanges of both angles projecting outwardly from the top edge of their vertical legs, the angles being parallel to the upper edge of the side throughout their length, and at least one of said flanges covering the top edge of the plate structure; substantially as described.

10. A car having a side formed at least in part of a plate structure extending beyond the bolsters, two angles riveted along the upper edge of the plate structure, the flanges of both angles projecting outwardly from the top edge of their vertical legs, and at least one of said flanges covering the top edge of the plate structure, one of said angles extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

11. A car having a plate-girder at its side with two angles riveted along its upper por" tion, the horizontal flanges of both angles being nested together, one of the angles extending throughout the body and beyond the bolsters and the other terminating adjacent to the bolsters, said angles being substantially parallel throughout their length; substantially as described.

12. A car having a plate-girder at its side with two angles riveted along its upper portion, the horizontal flanges of both angles being nested together, one of the angles extending throughout the body and beyond the bolsters and the other terminating adjacent to the bolsters, said angles being substantially parallel throughout their length, and at least one of the angles covering the edge of the side; substantially as described.

13. A car having a plate-girder at its side with a strengthening-flange extending substantially throughout the car and beyond the bolsters and another strengthening member extending along the lower part of said girder and terminating adjacent to the bolsters, said flange and member being parallel throughout their length; substantially as described.

14. A car having a plate-girder at its side, said girder having a lower flange extending from end to end of the car and beyond the bolsters, and another strengthening member along its lower portion extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

15. A steel car having a plate-girder at its side and extending beyond the bolsters, with strengthening members extending along both the upper and lower portions of said girder, at least one of said strengthening members extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters, said members being parallel throughout their length; substantially as described.

16. A car having a plate-girder at its side and beyond the bolsters, said girder having flanged strengthening members riveted thereto along its upper and lower edges, both of said members extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

17 A car having a plate-girder at its side extending beyond the bolsters with two flanges extending along the lower portion of said plate structure, one of said flanges extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

18. A car having a plate-girder at its side extending beyond the bolsters with two angular flanges along the lower portion of said plate structure, at least one of said flanges forming part of an angle riveted to the side parallel with the floor-frame and extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

19. A car having a plate-girder at its side extending beyond the bolsters with two angles riveted along the lower portion of said plate structure, one of said angles extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters; substantially as described.

20. A car having a plate-girder at its side extending beyond the bolsters with two angles riveted along its lower portion, one of said angles extending between and terminating adjacent to the bolsters, both of the angleflanges projecting horizontally, and one of them covering the lower edge of the side; substantially as described.

21. A car having a plate-girder at its side, said girder extending beyond thebolsters and below the floor-level, and having two angles riveted along its bottom portion with their flanges extending horizontally, one of said flanges covering the bottom edge of the side; substantially as described.

22. A car having a load-inclosing side extending beyond the bolsters, a plate structure forming at least a part of such side throughout its length, said plate structure having a plurality of strengthening members secured to and extending along its top, one of said members terminating adjacent to the bolsters,

and both of said members extending in parallelism throughout their length; substantially as described.

23. A car having a load-inclosing side extending beyond the bolsters, a plate structure forming at least a part of such side throughout its length, said plate structure having a plurality of strengthening members secured to and extending along its top, one of said members terminating adjacent to the bolsters, and the other member extending beyond the bolsters throughout the car-body and in parallelism to the shorter member; substantially as described.

24. A car having aplate-girdcr at its side and extending beyond the bolsters, said girder having vertical stiffening members at separated points in its length, and a plurality of strengthening members secured to and extending longitudinally along the top of the girder, one of said members terminating adjacent to the bolsters and the other member extending beyond the bolsters and parallel with the shorter strengthening member; substantially as described.

25. A car having a plate-girder at its side, said girder extending beyond the bolsters and having vertical stiffening members at separated points in its length, and a strengthening member secured to and extending along the top of the girder, said member terminating adjacent to the bolsters and extending substantially parallel With the floor throughout its length; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR B. BELLOWS. Witnesses:

JOHN MILLER, H. M. CoRWIN. 

